Earl Sholley aims to unseat U.S. Rep. Barney Frank

Earl Henry Sholley says he likes a challenge. That’s good, since Sholley is this year’s Republican candidate for the seat in Congress held by longtime U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.

Marc Munroe Dion

Earl Henry Sholley says he likes a challenge.

That’s good, since Sholley is this year’s Republican candidate for the seat in Congress held by longtime U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.

But Sholley thinks he’s the right man and this is the right time.

“I think this year in particular will be a tough time for incumbents,” Sholley said Tuesday, adding he’s seen polls that show Congress with less than a 15 percent approval rate.

Sholley has run before as a Republican, trying in 2000 and 2002 to unseat former Sen. Cheryl Jacques D-Needham, losing both times, but getting 30 percent of the vote in 2000 and over 40 percent in 2002, Sholley said.

Now, the 60-year-old retired landscaper said he believes that change is just around the corner for Frank, who he thinks has been too long in office.

“I believe in term limits,” Sholley said. “I think we’re in trouble in this country because we’ve developed a class of professional politicians.

“At my age, I would serve four years and that would be it,’ Sholley said.

Sholley, who has worked for school choice, divorce reform, parental rights and the Defense of Marriage Act said he doesn’t like labels.

“But I will say that I’m pretty conservative on social and fiscal issues,” he said.

Sholley is on favor of commuter rail.

“I think we need commuter rail in this area,’ he said. “Especially with the high price of gas. You can try to get federal funding. I don’t normally believe in pork barrel spending, but I think transportation is an essential service.”

One place Sholley wouldn’t look to for money is revenue from casino gambling.

“I don’t think the government should be in the business of promoting vice,” he said. “There is such a high social cost when you bring in gambling.”

Recently, Frank’s support for decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana has created a stir. Sholley said he opposes decriminalization.

“I think that shows how Frank’s priorities are,” Sholley said of Frank’s support for decriminalization. “We have serious problems in this country and he has time to support the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana,” Sholley said of Frank.

Sholley feels that the impetus for change is coming from the people.

“We’ve gone from apathy, the apathy we were seeing 10 years ago, now people are aggravated and disgusted with the political process,” he said.